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Pet Urine Stains on Hardwood Floors

Pet Urine Stains on Hardwood Floors

We had two week old cat urine stains that we finally found on the 90 year old top nailed white oak floor. The same two locations were peed on multiple times, so they were both dark and deep stains. There are lots of things you can try. I read a lot online, and just started trying things. Always test what you try in an obscure location, in case you do not like the result.

First I used Petastic odor and stain remover for cat urine, which is the same formula as Nature's Miracle. After two applications, which were each left there for an hour, there was still a dark stain and odor. After much online research, I decided to try 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, which I put directly on the floor. This lightened it some. I then put on hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda, in no particular proportion. This created small oxidation bubbles, and I could see and smell urine being lifted to the surface. I rinsed this clean, and used Petastic again. I rinsed that clean, and let it dry overnight. This morning, the stain is substantially lighter, and looks a little "bleached". It smells a little of urine, and a little of Petastic when I put my nose right next to the stains.

The floor will definitely change quite a bit in the hours after applying peroxide, so you may want to be more patient than me and just put one application on per day.

I'm enclosing a photo of the current state of one stain, prior to any further application or sanding. This was almost black when I started.

I may put some peroxide on the places that are still a little dark, and next we will sand it and put some sealer on it. In a few years, the floors throughout the house will be refinished, so it will be fully addressed then. Hopefully we won't have to replace floor boards, but that is a possibility.

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This happened because I was distracted for a week or two and did not provide an optimum litter box experience for my two cats. Always keep the litter box clean! (06/03/2010)